


Into Your Arms

by jhunieilarde



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhunieilarde/pseuds/jhunieilarde
Summary: When Raquel did not show up in Palawan, Sergio was forced to go back to Spain to find out why she did not make it. He then found a very miserable Raquel who is about to hit her rock bottom. Now, it is up to him to help her before she sinks any lower.(another Serquel story)
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 15
Kudos: 101





	1. Bad Habits

**Author's Note:**

> i came up with this last night and i continued writing it in the car repair shop this morning. I am not sure yet how this one will go so bear with me.

It’s been a year since Sergio arrived in Palawan. It’s been a year since the heist and it’s been a year since he saw Raquel last. She held up her end of the bargain and helped him and his team escaped. He trusted to see her again because he left a clue. Those postcards that he gave her contained the coordinates of their supposed island but it’s already been a year and she’s not yet there with him. Did she find the coordinates? Maybe she didn’t. Maybe she did and she chose not to follow him. After all, he is a fugitive and no sane woman will throw her life to follow him to the other side of the planet.

Raquel is not any other ordinary woman though. It may have been five days but what they had was real despite the fact that it was built on lies. There has to be a reason why she didn’t make it and he has to know. He cannot continue living in the island that’s meant for the both of them. It will be risky but the only way to know why is to go back to Spain and talk to her.

He did a thorough research about what happened to her in the past year. He only knew the basics from what he gathered from the news. The judge had granted full custody of Paula to Alberto and he won the case she filed against him for ill treatment. She was also fired from her job on the ground of her association with the Professor. According to his research, Raquel had moved away to the city so it would’ve been easy to get there undetected. He needs to see her now and he wouldn’t wait any longer.

=SPAIN=

Getting back is not that hard since no one is expecting for him to return to Spain. The authorities are expecting them to be enjoying their riches somewhere far away and they would be right if it wasn’t for his feelings for Raquel.

It didn’t last long before he found the little town she settled in at Bilbao. His contact informed him that Raquel works at night in a bar so she should be there at this hour.  
Sergio went to the establishment to find her. He didn’t expect to see Raquel working behind the bar wearing a very fitted top that accentuates…well, everything while serving drinks to very drunken men. They were all talking in Basque but he can understand some of them. They were making passes at her which she entertained for a few moments before sending them away.

He took his time. He knows he couldn’t approach her like that. She’s extremely busy and she’s swimming in a pool of customers. He didn’t approach her too when she took her break and went to smoke at the back of the bar. She looked exhausted and defeated, far from earlier when she’s talking to those men. It’s like she took off her mask and let herself breathe for a moment before putting it back on to get back to work.

Sergio followed her to her apartment after her shift. It’s almost sunrise when she got to her door, struggling to open it. That’s when he decided to speak up.

“Raquel”, is the first thing that came out of his mouth.

It feels strange to say it after a year but he felt relieved to be able to call her with her name in person.

On the other hand, Raquel stopped trying to open her door and looked at him in alarm. It’s like she’s been sleeping and someone woke her up. That’s the look on her face. She then closed her eyes and sighed. Sergio is certain that she cursed under her breath but he didn’t say anything about it. Raquel finally managed to open the door and she went in without saying anything leaving the door wide open for him to come in and so he did and closed the door.

The place is simply a mess. Sergio would’ve called it a dump but he’s not sure if she is in a good mood for that comment so he kept it shut. Raquel tossed her purse on the floor as well as her keys and went to the kitchen. Sergio hurried to pick up her purse and keys and gently put them on the table. Raquel opened the cupboard and took out a bottle of whisky and went back to the living room.

“I don’t suppose you want one”, she muttered addressing him for the first time.

“No, thank you”, he declined.

She didn’t bother using any glass and drank straight from the bottle. She then lit up a stick of cigarette.

“You might need to talk”, she said and then sat carelessly on the couch. “I mean you came all this way, right? Might as well spit it out”, she added.

Sergio swallowed and then took a seat across from her. He cannot read her face. Her expression is more like blank.

“Did you see the postcards?” he asked nervously.

“Yes”, she answered.

“…the coordinates?” he asked again.

“They’re at the back as far as I can remember, yes”, she answered. Her voice is cold.

Sergio straightened himself up. She saw it. Why didn’t she come? She could’ve come, right?

“It was my location. I left it so you know where to find me”, he explained just in case she didn’t know what it was or at least he’s hoping that’s the reason why she wasn’t able to follow him there.

“Oh, I know that too”, she muttered and then took another swig at her bottle.

“Then why didn’t you come? I waited for you. I waited everyday”, he asked now sounding defeated.

Raquel took a puff at her cigarette before putting it out on the ashtray at the table.

“Sorry to inconvenience you but I was busy swimming in hell after your successful heist but I am pretty sure you already know that since you found me here”, she answered.

“Yes about that…I am sorry about you losing your job and your daughter. If it wasn’t for me, that will never happened”, he apologized.

She laughed at that and raised her bottle.

“Amen to that! You are so right. What should I call you? Salva? Professor? Or Sergio?” she asked.

The anger in her voice felt like a knife in his heart.

“Sergio, please”, he answered.

“Of course…those you mentioned weren’t the only things I lost, you know. In case you haven’t noticed, Mama is not here. You want to know why? She had a heart attack when she found out Alberto won the custody of Paula. The news hit her hard because she knew how that made me feel and she wasn’t able to bear it and she died. I buried my mother and after that, Alberto took my daughter from me and he never let me see her again. According to him, I am unstable and unfit to be her mother”, she said.

Sergio doesn’t know that one. Marivi’s death wasn’t made public. He doesn’t know that Raquel has never seen Paula in almost a year now. How can a judge grant an abuser the custody of a young girl is beyond his comprehension. Tears were about to form in her eyes but she blocked it with whisky.

“Raquel…I am really sorry. I didn’t know. When we left Spain, we spent days on a cargo ship in order to cross to the international borders. Then, I had to arrange everything in Palawan. I had supervised the construction of the house so it will be ready when you arrive. After that, I waited for you because I couldn’t just go back here yet. It was too soon. If I had known, I would’ve risked it. I would’ve come back sooner”, he apologized again.

“Well…what’s done is done”, she muttered and then shrugged.

She stood up and went back to the kitchen. Sergio watched her with careful eyes as she opened another drawer and took a bottle of pills. She popped one into her mouth and then chased it with whisky. By the time she open her eyes, Sergio is already sanding next to her.

“Is there any other bad habits you haven’t pick up in the past year?” he asked.

Somehow, the coldness in his voice surprised her. Perhaps it is because she had always known him as Salva, a gentle and kind man who listened to her personal problems without any judgment in his eyes. The man who after knocking her out in the attic of the house in Toledo had stayed and waited for her to wake up when he could’ve just leave to escape. Now, he is staring at her still looking like the man she fell in love with but there is something else. He is also the Professor. She can finally see it.

“A lot has happened in a year, Sergio. One must do anything to help oneself get up in the morning or sleep at night”, she said.

It didn’t have to be that vague but she cannot bring herself to say it out loud. She’s been needing the help of sleeping pills to close her eyes at night but after some time, it’s no longer working but it still helps with dulling her mind so she wouldn’t have to think too much about what kind of life she currently has.

The thing is, she didn’t have to say anything. Sergio already figured it out. How fast can a person fall into a rabbit hole? Few months? A year? He recognized the symptoms. After all, his father and his brother described his mother going through that phase and his father failed to pull her back to the surface.

“You must be tired. You had a long night at work. I will stay here at the couch and you can sleep inside your room. Tomorrow or tonight we can talk with clear heads”, he suggested but it sounded more like an order.

Raquel expected a fight from him. She thought she would receive lectures about her behavior but nothing. He just asked her to rest. It’s the same thing when she vented out to him at Hanoi about her life. Most people will be sorry for her or go the opposite direction and tell her it’s her fault but Sergio said nothing of which. He offered to be her bodyguard with eyeglasses.

“That’s fine”, is all she managed to say in response.

Raquel retreated to her room and closed the door. The pill had taken effect and her mind is already dozing off. She took a few more of the whisky before succumbing to sleep.  
A classical music woke her up from her somewhat deep sleep. She checked the clock on her bedside table and it’s almost five in the afternoon.

“Jeez”, she muttered.

Raquel took a shower and changed her clothes before coming out of her room. She can remember having Sergio in her living room. The events of that morning are all coming back at her and she feels embarrassed. She’s angry and that’s undeniable but no matter how much she tries, she couldn’t bring herself to be angry at Sergio. Everything she did back then it’s on her own accords. He didn’t force her at gunpoint to help him. She made her own decision and she sticks by it.

It took her a minute to notice that something has changed in her living room. It is clean and organized. Sergio wasn’t on the couch and her living room looks more like a living room. She then smelled the food from the kitchen and a man humming along at the music. She went there quietly and saw that her kitchen is also cleaned like her living room. Sergio is very engaged in cooking some bacon that he didn’t notice her behind him. The coffee is also made and the dining table has been set.

“What’s for breakfast?” she asked startling him in the process.

Sergio turned around and turned off the radio. He is wearing her apron which makes him look cuter if that’s even possible. He then adjusted his eyeglasses.

“Bacon and egg. I also made French toasts and black coffee”, he answered proudly.

Raquel nodded. It does smell delicious and her stomach is yearning for it but she needed her fix of alcohol more than coffee in order to function so she went to open the cupboard.

“What?” she muttered when she found no liquor inside.

If she’s not mistaken, she bought six bottles of whisky and she only drank one earlier. Sergio just stared at her, watching her quietly. She looked back at him and a thought came to mind. Raquel opened the drawer to search for her pills and it’s also gone. She slammed it shut and controlled her breathing.

“Where is it?” she asked. Her tone is almost murderous.

“I flushed it down the toilet and your liquors down the sink”, he answered in a matter of fact tone.

“You did what?!” she exclaimed.

“I cut you off because I cannot let you destroy yourself, Raquel so you’re stuck with me for a couple of days. We’re going to work together, you and me. This is Day One”, he declared.


	2. Day One

DAY ONE

It surely started with a bang. Raquel screamed at him all the profanities she can think of. For months she had depended on those damn pills to keep herself sane, to numb everything else and Sergio suddenly came back into her life and it’s not yet been 24 hours and he already had taken the only thing that’s getting her through every day. Not only did he take her pills but he also threw her whisky away. She’s lucky he didn’t take her cigarettes too and that’s the only thing keeping her from breaking his neck into two.

Sergio received all the things she screamed at him like a pro. He’s prepared. While Raquel was sleeping, he decided to help her overcome the pit of darkness she found herself in. He tidied up her place and then threw all her stocks away. He knows she will be mad as hell when she finds out but it is only normal. It is a phase. She will get over it once she gets better and she will get better. So, when Raquel started screaming at him, he is already prepared.

After a good thirty minutes of that, Raquel finally felt exhausted. Sergio observed her for a few minutes before finally clearing his throat to get her attention.

“The food is cold but I can reheat it…the coffee too”, he muttered.

Raquel looked at him, still furious about what he did but she didn’t yell at him anymore. She turned her eyes at the food on the table and sighed. She is too tired and hungry to fight anymore.

“It’s fine”, she said and settled on the dining table.

Sergio followed and they ate in silence. He noticed how tensed Raquel is compared to earlier when they arrived from the bar when she’s incredibly relaxed because she was drunk and had taken the pill.

“Are you going to stay here? I need to get to work later”, she asked.

“That won’t be necessary. I already talked to your boss and told him you’re sick. He agreed to give you days off until you get better”, he answered.

Raquel dropped her utensils on the table and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Are you crazy? That’s my job! That’s the only job I was able to get in this fucking country after all the media fiasco and you called my boss to give me days off? Are you trying to get me fired and ruin my life again?” she exclaimed.

That hurt, he admits, but it is normal. At least that’s what he keeps on telling himself since she started with the verbal attack. She’s lashing out. That’s all. It shouldn’t hurt but it does because everything that came out of her mouth was true.

“He’s not going to fire you. I made sure of that”, he said firmly.

The confidence in his voice stopped Raquel from going into hysterics. Suddenly, he shifted to being the Professor again, something she recognized that morning when he asked her to take a rest in her room. She leaned back on her chair and took a deep breath.

“That bastard never let me had a day off before. What did you tell him to let me go that easily?” she asked in a calmer manner.

“Simple. I gave him a hundred thousand euros”, he answered.

She should be angrier but that made her smile and then laughed. Sergio just bribed her boss so she can have days off.

“So, what’s the plan, Professor? You’re going to keep me here until further notice?” she asked while challenging him.

Sergio adjusted his glasses and leaned forward the table.

“Well, yes. I had replenished your food stocks already. Your fridge is full. Everything we will need in the next two weeks is in this apartment so we don’t need to go out anymore”, he answered.

Raquel raised an eyebrow and gasped in disbelief. He already planned for everything while she’s out.

“You know I can just walk out the door whenever I want to”, she muttered.

“Sure but you won’t be able to go out because the door is locked. I installed new one on it and I hid the key. I also shut the windows so there’s nowhere for you to go really”, he explained.

That got her nervous. She’s hoping she can still go to work and then buy herself the sleeping pills and drink at the bar but now she cannot even go out her apartment. Everything is sealed.

“Am I your hostage now?” she asked.

Sergio breathed out in sadness.

“No, Raquel. You’re not my hostage. I am doing this for you. Going through withdrawal will be hard and the urge to buy or obtain the sleeping pills will be a lot stronger than you think so I have to keep you here where you cannot get your hand on it. It’s not forever. It will be over soon”, he explained in the best possible way he can.

Withdrawal…that word stuck to Raquel. She can already imagine what it will be like at night without her pills. Her mind won’t stop working and she won’t be able to rest. How is she going to sleep without it and her booze? What is she going to do when she cannot stop thinking about how much of a failure she is without her pills to dull her brain? It’s been only a few hours and she feels like she’s going insane already.

“You don’t need it, Raquel”, he suddenly said like he’s reading her mind. “You have never needed it before and you don’t need it now. I know you went through hell for the entire year but you’re the strongest person I know. If there’s anyone who can bounce back from this, it’s you”, he added.

She scoffed and wiped the tears that had escaped her eyes.

“Why would I want to do that? I got nothing left, Sergio”, she asked.

He had feared to hear that from her. Losing hope and will to live is the worst possible thing someone can experience. It’s like hanging on a rope while slowly losing strength to keep the grip tight and then finally letting the rope go to fall to his death. It’s not like a bullet to the head where it kills faster. No. Being on the edge triggers a person’s survival instinct and he tends to fight and struggle but overtime, that instinct fades. The adrenaline wears off until he succumbs to the fact that there’s nothing left to lose and it will be better to just let go and then he will.

“Tell me what you want, Raquel. Tell me what you dream at night before you sleep”, he said.

She looked at him waiting for him to drop the ball or some philosophical bullshit. Her former therapist used to do that to her. She tells him her dreams and then he conjures up meanings behind them and that’s it. Sergio, on the other hand, is deadly serious. He really wants to know.

“Paula. I want my Paula. I want my daughter back”, she answered.

It’s all she ever wanted. It is why she couldn’t sleep at night without sleeping pills. She always thinks about her daughter and how much she had failed her by letting Alberto take her away. He warned her that if she tries to come anywhere near her daughter, he will file for a restraining order and she will be arrested and put to jail. Considering her horrible reputation, that will be easily granted to Alberto.

Sergio adjusted his glasses again and straightened himself.

“Let’s make a deal like what we used to over the phone. Here is my offer, Inspector. You bear with me and endure being stuck in this apartment until you’re clean and I promise to get your daughter back for you after”, he proposed.

Something in Raquel suddenly got awakened. It’s her detective’s side. It’s been a year but she still got that mentality, same instincts and she knows a good offer when she hears one.

“How are you going to get her back?” she asked.

“I printed a billion euros inside the Royal Mint of Spain and walked away right under the police’s noses. Getting a child from a guy who I knocked out in five seconds is a piece of cake”, he answered.

She is bound to doubt that but she knows him. She knows that look, that tone of voice. She is sure he is confident that he can get her daughter back for her. All she has to do is go through the withdrawal and get clean. She can have Paula again.

“Alright…it’s a deal”, she accepted.

When the night came, Sergio unveiled couple of DVD’s he bought earlier so they can watch it together. It is a good passing time activity and he doesn’t want her to focus too much on the craving. He wants her to take off her mind from the sleeping pills for a few hours.

“I was going to do it”, she suddenly said while they’re watching Wuthering Heights.

“What is?” he asked.

“…following you to Palawan”, she answered and Sergio straightened himself up to turn to her. “When I found the coordinates at the back of the postcards, I was going to do it. I was going to take Paula and Mama with me and fly to Philippines. That’s the plan and then, the decision for the custody came out and Alberto won the case. I have no fake passports for the three of us. If I try to kidnap my daughter, we will get caught at the airport. Mama found out about it and saw me in my room crying. She had a heart attack and then she died. After that, Alberto took Paula and I was left alone. That’s when I felt like there’s no need to go there anymore. I already lost my family. I tried visiting Paula but Alberto wouldn’t let me, not even to speak with her on the phone. I couldn’t bear it. Being alone sucks so I packed up my stuff and moved here. Everything else that followed it has been a blur in my head”, she explained without looking at him.

He, however, is focused on her. He thought that she’s too mad at her. That’s why she chose not to go to Palawan. It’s not the case apparently. She wanted to but the circumstances didn’t let her. He could’ve helped if he only left her his contact details but he thought it will be too much of a risk. He already took one by leaving the coordinates. 

“If it helps, I never lose hope you will come to the island”, he said and this time she looked back at him. “That’s why I came back here because I want to know what happened. I knew there has to be a reason why you never came and I was right”, he added.

She smiled briefly, the first since they met again.

“It helps”, she muttered.

It matters that not everyone thinks she is a total failure. She might have failed being a mother and a police but at least Sergio doesn’t think she failed with her promise to him when she told him ‘I’m with you’. He understood even though she hasn’t told him. He risked his freedom finding her to know why. He didn’t make any conclusion first.

Raquel took the remote and stopped the movie and then turned to Sergio.

“So…you supervised the construction of the house in Palawan?” she asked.

Caught off guard, Sergio recovered quickly. She wants to make small talks and he is happy to oblige.

“Yes”, he answered.

“Is it a big house?” she asked again.

“Well…” he adjusted his glasses. “…it is quite big but nothing fancy. It is by the beach so it has a lot of windows so we can see the view from the inside of the house. It is also made from woods and bamboos. I bought a hammock for the living room and we have our own boat so we can go to town whenever we want”, he answered.

Raquel smiled whenever he used to describe the place as theirs. It is a nice thought, a nice picture. If only she was able to get away with her family sooner, they would’ve been there by now living the best life possible instead of the one she has now.

“Sounds lovely…perhaps, I can see the house someday”, she muttered.

“You will be…you and Paula, soon…when you’re better. We will get Paula back and we will live there”, he promised.


	3. Withdrawal Phase

The first three days of the journey had been extremely difficult for both Sergio and Raquel. Her mood swung like a pendulum with extreme momentum that Sergio failed to keep track on. She yelled at him, have been nice at to him, cried at his shoulder, incredibly mad at him all in short period of time. Sergio held her hair back as she poured her guts out during these days. She’s been using pills quite heavily and cutter her off as abruptly like what he did cause her to have such extreme withdrawal phase.

Raquel started having trouble sleeping because she felt like she needed the pills to sleep or the booze. To her credit, she stuck by their deal and pushed through. Sometimes, she will close her eyes hard in desperate attempt to sleep but she always failed. On days four to ten, she started having physical symptoms like sweating, increased heart rate and tremors. The craving intensified and her anxiety level increased. 

On the night of Day Five, Sergio woke up at the sound of furniture creaking. He came out of Raquel’s bedroom when he saw she wasn’t there. She’s in the living room rearranging everything. She moved the couch, the table, even the television. When he found her there, she’s trying to lift the huge painting on the wall but it’s too heavy for her to carry.

“Raquel, what are you doing?” he asked.

She didn’t stop but she did take a glance at him and then smiled. She got dark circles around her eyes but she doesn’t have any hint of exhaustion on her face. Her energy level is at its peak.

“I am trying to move this painting on the other wall but it’s too heavy. Can you help me?” she answered then asked.

Sergio glanced at the wall clock.

“It’s 2:30 in the morning”, he muttered.

She frowned and checked the clock as well.

“Oh, I didn’t see that. Did I wake you? I am sorry. We can move the painting later”, she apologized and then proceeded to move around the vases.

She is restless and very hyper. He decided to go to her and then held her hands to stop her from moving things around and hurting herself in the process. For the first time that night or morning, she saw a sign of tiredness. 

“I need to clean up. I need to clean everything up”, she explained.

He shook his head.

“No, you don’t. You couldn’t sleep and you are going through a withdrawal. You’d rather occupy yourself with rearranging things so you wouldn’t think of your cravings. I get it”, he said gently.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“I tell you what. I bought some board games. We can play as long as you want. It is good to busy your brain and it might help you sleep”, he suggested.

Raquel nodded and so that’s what they did for the following nights. No matter how tired or sleepy Sergio was, he stayed up along with her, playing chess with her, watching movies with her, massaging her muscles when she’s too tensed, when her muscles were cramping or when the tremors wouldn’t stop. He stood by her all the same. She fell asleep most of the time on the couch when she crashed. He started reading her some books and it helped her a lot so she picked up the habit of reading as well. It stopped her early in the morning urge to clean up the apartment and it made her forget about the cravings for some time.

Nearing the second week of their home detox journey, Raquel fell in a state of depression. The physical symptoms of the withdrawal had already passed and so the start of the emotional and psychological symptoms. She began realizing how far she had fallen and all the things she had done ever since she lost Paula. There were moments in the past year that came back to her that she would rather forget. Sergio kept telling her she wasn’t on the right frame of mind during those times and there’s no need to dwell on them. It wasn’t that easy for her. Getting into bar fights and hooking up with random guys weren’t her thing. She’s not that kind of person but she had become that in a span of one year. When it all became too much for her, she would locked herself up inside her room for hours until she’s ready to face Sergio again. She felt ashamed. She felt embarrassed of her actions. It wasn’t the Raquel Murillo she knew, that her mother raised, that Sergio met. It was another person, the kind she never wanted to be in the first place.

After two weeks, Raquel became better and better. It is still a wonder to her why her boss at the bar is not calling to yell at her for missing work for more than two weeks but Sergio is not worried at all by that. He remains calm the whole time. It is his turn to rest and sleep since he mostly stayed up during her withdrawal phase. Sergio sometimes would just crash on the couch and she would put a blanket over him to keep him warm before proceeding to cooking in the kitchen so he will have something to eat when he wakes up. Cooking does her good too. It keeps her busy and her mind stable. She’s slowly developing appetite so she can finally appreciate the food she’s making.

Finally, the day came where Raquel no longer needs sleeping pills to fall asleep. Her body clock returns to normal and she’s gaining back her lost weight and color. Sometimes she thinks about the pills in order to dull her mind whenever her thoughts are moving into bad memories but instead of dwelling on that, she will engage in a conversation with Sergio and it makes those thoughts go away.

“I never said thank you”, she said while they were eating ice cream in front of the television.

“You don’t have to”, he said.

“…but I do. I was a mess and I still am. I am not really your responsibility and you stayed. You helped me despite all the horrible things I said to you. Thank you”, she insisted.

She did say a lot of things she can never take back. He understood all of that. Deep inside, Sergio thinks he actually deserved those. Everything she said was true. It’s the thing about people going through withdrawals. Their filter is being removed and all truths come out no matter how much it hurts. It’s what happened during the first part of those two weeks. Raquel’s filter left the apartment and she told him the truth.

“I was the reason you became a mess. You lost everything because of me. I deserved all the things you said so there’s no need to be sorry about that. Regarding about staying, I came back here for you. Of course, I am staying”, he explained.

She thought about those postcards again. She thought about the what if’s. Sergio saw through her eyes and his hand found hers.

“It’s alright. We cannot change the past especially the one we have no control of. We can only work on the present and on the future”, he said.

How can someone be so optimistic? She thought. She is sure he had gone through his fair share of hell in the past year. He did mention to her once that Andres De Fonollosa was his brother and he died during the heist. She never knew that during the case and she had met ‘Berlin’ inside the Mint. He mourned his brother alone in an island when she should’ve been there with him if only she was able to see those coordinates sooner and got out of Spain fast.

“I really screwed up, Sergio”, she muttered and put down the ice cream. “Alberto was right at some point. He said I was unstable and unfit to be Paula’s mother and he was right. I mean, look at me. You had to lock me here for more than two weeks to detoxify me from sleeping pills. I am working in a bar and I can barely pay the rent for this place. I became an alcoholic and I smoke like a damn chimney. What kind of mother will I be to Paula? What kind of example am I setting?” she added.

Sergio’s expression hardened.

“…but it wasn’t on you. I never condone the abuse of prescription meds and vices but you did what you have to do in order to cope. It wasn’t the best way to do it and it’s certainly the worst but it’s the only thing you were able to come up with at the time. They took everything from you. They fired you from your job when you didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. You fell in love and it’s never a crime. They sided with Alberto when they should’ve locked him in prison for everything that he did to you. They gave him the custody of your daughter when they should’ve done everything they could to protect her from him. You lost your mother during the time you needed her guidance and love the most. Those were enough to send someone over the cliff but you fought. You could’ve taken the easy way out and end it all but you fought. If there’s any example you are setting for Paula, it is your strength. You made mistakes. We all do. The system more than others but you learned from it and you bounced back higher. I don’t know Paula but I am quite sure she will be proud to call you her Mama”, he said.

That made the tears fell from her eyes. She did contemplate so many times of just ending everything. She thought about crashing her car like what happened with Angel. She thought about jumping off the bridge or hanging herself. She thought about taking wrong dose of sleeping pills so she wouldn’t have to wake up the next morning but each time she’s close to the edge, something was stopping her. She couldn’t bring herself to do it so she turns to alcohol and cigarettes. She could’ve taken the easy way out and yet she chose to go through hell.

“Does your offer still stand? The island? Me and you? Paula?” she asked.

There is a big chance he will just bail. She put him through a lot in a span of two weeks. It is true he screwed up her life but she felt like he had already paid the price for that by helping her get back on track.

“The island and our home are just waiting for us, my love. There is no need to ask me that. You are my life ever since I laid my eyes on you I know I couldn’t live without you. I will never go away”, he answered.

She smiled at his declaration of love and cupped his face with her hands. She might’ve done that before but the last two weeks had been a vague memory for her. She wants to see him and feel him with her head as clear as day so she knows it is real. It is not just a hallucination or effect of the pills.

“I love you, Sergio”, she said.

He smiled from ear to ear. He had been wanting to hear that from her for a year and now she has said the words. 

“I love you too, Raquel…more than anything in this world”, he replied.

Their lips met and it’s like what they have been dreaming about. It’s how it felt like a year ago during those five days in Madrid. They fit together. They feel right together. They’re simply meant to be and no matter how many curve balls life threw at them, they always find a way to get back to each other.

“Take me to bed”, she whispered and he doesn’t need to be told twice.

He scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. He gently put her down the bed and then showered her with kisses. It’s not rush. It’s romantic more like kisses of adoration. He treated her like a goddess that needs to be worship with every kiss. She let her hand trace his body, every part, like remembering him for the first time. The feelings inside them build up but Sergio stopped.

“Raquel…I don’t want to take advantage of you”, he suddenly said.

She frowned at first and then smiled. Her sweet Sergio, always thinks about her sake before his.

“You’re not taking advantage of anything because I am giving it to you, cariño”, she said and his heart warms up with her calling him that. “Please, I need you”, she whispered and that has done it.

When they were done, the two laid on the bed side by side only covered by white blanket. He had his arm around her head serving as her pillow while she has her arm across his body.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to leave Spain”, he said.

“What about Paula?” she asked.

“We’re going to take her with us. The passports are already finished and we will pick it up tomorrow. After that, we’re going to take Paula and we’re leaving this place and we will never come back ever”, he turned to look her in her eyes, “Tomorrow we’re going home”, he said.


	4. Reunited

Kidnapping her daughter is easier than what she thought. Paula was so happy when they picked her up from school. Apparently, she has been asking her father to let her see her mother but Alberto refused each time telling her that Raquel has abandoned her. Paula told her that she didn’t believe it one bit. She knows she loves her very much and she will come back for her. Raquel is incredibly touched by her daughter’s devotion to her and loyalty. She is much stronger than her mother who almost fell down the rabbit hole and if it wasn’t for Sergio, she will not be able to get out of.

They didn’t stop by Alberto’s house to pick up Paula’s stuff. Sergio said they can buy whatever they want and the little girl is delighted by the fact that they can go shopping. The three went straight to airport. Just like what Sergio said, he had made them fake passports and I.D.’s. The transaction in the airport went fast and swift. The next thing they knew, they’re already on the plane out of Spain.

Raquel held on to her daughter who is asleep by her arms. She never thought she will get to hold her again but there she is sleeping peacefully with her. She looked at Sergio who is watching them with gentle eyes. None of it will be possible if he hadn’t come back for her. She gave him a warm smile which he gladly returned.

He is beyond happy to see Raquel reunited with her daughter. They belong to each other and not apart. This could’ve happen sooner, he thought but they cannot change the past. They have the present and the future and that’s something they can work on. He already had call on ahead to have everything ready in Palawan. He doesn’t want them to be disappointed when they arrive there. Raquel’s hand found his and they held on to each other. 

It has been quite a ride for the last few weeks. Sure, it has been a hellish one for the past year but now they’re all together in a plane on the way to their island where they’re going to start their new life together. If someone will ask him if he would like to alter one thing in the past, he would say no because it led him to this moment with Raquel and Paula. Raquel would’ve answered the same thing. She has been through so much for the past year and she lost a lot but it is fate and she had learned to accept that. It has taught her so many things and molded her to be stronger than before. It also showed her how much Sergio cared for her. He could’ve stayed away and live his life but he came back, risked his own freedom and save her from herself. She looks into his eyes and she cannot find any regret in his decision to take them with him to his island. 

“I love you”, she whispered so she won’t wake Paula.

Sergio squeezed his hand gently.

“I love you too…both of you”, he replied and it warmed her heart.

She used to be afraid about the future, worried she will face it alone. Now, she doesn’t have to. She is not alone. She has Sergio and Paula. With them with her, she can face just about anything and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sergio looked outside the window and into the thick white clouds floating out there. If only Andres can see him now, he thought, he will be jumping up and down to know that finally his little brother had succumbed to love which is what he had always wanted for him.

“Thank you, brother”, he muttered to himself with a smile.

~~FIN~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this last chapter is short but i ran out of ideas for this one (probably because i am working on a lot of stories) but i did my best to close this one. Thank you so much for reading and hope you enjoy more of my work!


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